Did A Love Triangle Start The Columbian Soccer Riot?

Silly us. We thought that this past weekend’s Colombian soccer brawl was caused by the coach bonking the other coach in the nose. While punching his Deportivo Cali rival Daniel Carreno got America coach Diego Umana suspended for 11 games, police think a more sinister spark may have sent the crowd ablaze–that fact that it may have gotten all telenovela up in the stands.

Among the possibilities: A jealous boyfriend who was angry his girlfriend was flirting with another man.

[Diego Cardona, secretary for sport for the city of Cali] had no concrete evidence to prove a lover’s quarrel had started the fight, saying it was only one of several explanations police were considering.

“This is one of the theories,” said Cardona… “[b]ut when you have so many people drunk, drugged up and looking for a fight, sometimes it’s hard to find out what really started it.”

We’re no CSI-types, but we’d go with (in order) the A) drinking, B) the drugs then C) the urge to fight.
Police ponder jealous boyfriend as spark for Colombian brawl that injured 83 [The Sporting News]
Colombian coach banned for punching rival [World Soccer]